


At The Bottom Of The Bottle  [Boxer! Troubled! Levi x Reader ]

by Enoughofthefoolishness



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Addiction, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Depression, F/M, underground boxer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:54:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27052984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enoughofthefoolishness/pseuds/Enoughofthefoolishness
Summary: His back muscles flexed as he hunched over the countertop. On the countertop were three bottles of pills, but the contents were spilled over the counter as if someone was desperately trying to get to them. On the left side of the countertop was a quarter full glass of brown liquid. You didn’t have to guess what it was.“Levi…?”“Go back to sleep.” His deep voice was guttural and raspy. He didn’t turn to look at you.Your blood froze in your veins. You swallowed a lump in your throat.“W-what’re you doing?” You asked in a soft voice.“Oi, brat. Did you hear me?” He growled. “Go back to sleep.”*****A story in which a socially awkward college student and a troubled underground boxer find comfort in each other.
Relationships: Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 100





	1. ATBOTB - Prolouge

College life isn’t for just anybody.

Not everyone had the stamina to constantly milk themselves of thousands of dollars and spend every waking moment dealing with stress for a mere piece of paper. Not to mention the woes of living with a potential dirty roommate, or of course, the drunken frats and sororities that prioritize a person’s body over their being. That wasn’t to say that college life wasn’t enjoyable. One could easily find their peace and joy in their studies (Which by the way is extremely odd) or find themselves being attracted to a new spiritual or religious experience, or in your particular case, get themselves dragged to an extremely sketchy underground boxing club in the middle of the night.

The screams from the crowd of the cramped, overcrowded arena nearly burst your eardrums. The place was dark, aside from the twisting spotlights and beams on the ceiling. You cringed. It serves you right for following the crowd. You had never been one for social interactions, not to talk of friends. After you had relayed the information to your mother--not yet having a boyfriend, or a plethora of friends that is-- she graciously complained to you about her dying before you could ever give her grandkids and that you wouldn’t have anyone to invite to the funeral. _Thanks, mom,_ You thought bitterly. _You weren’t lonely! Sure, you didn't have the most confidants, but that didn’t mean you were lonely_ … Is what you thought before the fear of dying alone and crushing mediocrity fell on you. One thing led to another, and the next thing you knew, you had followed a rumor that the “best night ever” was going to be in an underground boxing club.

You pulled your windbreaker closer to your body as you saw one of the people in your classes pass out, presumably from intoxication. _How freaking dumb can I be? I really thought something was going to happen tonight!_ You scolded yourself. This was in no way your scene, and you were very uncomfortable. Before you could have the chance to degrade yourself further, the crowd started cheering louder than ever before.

“HE-E-ELLO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” Your hands flew to your ears, trying your hardest to make yourself go deaf. A man stood in the middle of the boxing ring, his smile full of gold and a mischievous glint in his eye. Why did he feel the need to yell into a microphone?!

“Quiet down, fuckers! Quiet down!” The host barked, inciting some howls and curses back from the audience before it eventually followed his commands. You strained your eyes on the man as the spotlight centered on him.

“This is the night you fucks have been waiting for! Put your hands together for Peter Muscle!” Loud applause broke out as a huge, muscular man walked into the ring. You wrinkled your nose. What type of name is Peter Muscle? Lord have mercy, you needed to get out of here. You turned to leave, only to have your mother's words echo in your head again. You sighed, turning back around. One fight. You would stay for one fight before calling quits.

Peter Muscle was huge in every sense of the word. He had bulging muscles on virtually every part of his body. He could barely fit into the shorts he was wearing. He was extremely tall, reaching about six feet and five inches from your calculations. The guy was a freakin’ unit. You felt bad for the guy he was fighting. 

“And on this corner, Loe Porl!” The host shrieked again. You winced, feeling a headache rear its head inside your skull. Another man stepped into the ring. He was about the same size as Peter, just without hair. Interest sparked in you. They were about the same size and height. Who would get the upper hand?

“Who are you betting on?” You heard a boyish voice yell over the music. Assuming he wasn't talking to you, you ignored the voice. One could only imagine how high you jumped when a finger tapped your shoulder. Stiffly, you turned to the source of your fright. A male was grinning back at you. His head was shaven down into a buzz cut, and his brown eyes glinted playfully in the dim light. He was a couple of inches taller than you, but then again, you weren't that tall yourself. You gulped, feeling your anxiety storm in the pits of your stomach. You recognized him as Connie--or Conner-- you weren’t quite sure. He was known around campus for being sort of a “class clown”, along with his partner in crime, Sasha.

“You’re talking to me?” You said in a shaky voice. The male cupped his ear. You quickly realized he didn’t hear you before speaking up. 

“Me?” You yelled, feeling awkward for repeating yourself.

“Yeah you, Redshirt!” He yelled back. You cocked your eyebrow, suddenly becoming hyper-aware of your red windbreaker. “Personally, I’m a Peter fan, but he doesn’t look too good today!” You could only stare back at him. How could he talk so freely as if you had known him for years? It must be nice.

“Bullshit!” Came a female voice from beside him. You figured that was Saha. Her brown hair fell in tufts over her forehead, the rest confined to a high ponytail. She was looking between Connie/Conner and the ring intently.

“He’s gonna beat Loe’s ass!”

Before either of you could continue the rather one-sided conversation, the host’s voice boomed again.

“ARE YOUR BETS PLACED?!” The ghost shrieked. The crowd, including Connie/Conner and Sasha, went crazy. You wanted to scream too, but you felt too out of place. 

“FIGHT!” The host screamed, signaling the match to start. You watched on in budding anticipation.

Immediately, the two men attacked each other. Loe went in for an obvious punch, making it easy for Peter to hit him with a brutal uppercut. Loe choked, a tooth flying out of his mouth. You bit your lip, unconsciously leaning forward. Loe stumbled backward into the ropes of the boxing ring before letting out a gurgled battle cry. He pounced his opponent, socking him in the gut. Not faltering even once, Peter grabbed the man’s midsection in a death grip before ripping the man off his feet and slamming him into the ground. It was silent for a few seconds and it was clear that Loe wasn’t getting back up. 

“I fucking told you!” You heard Sasha scream. “Pay up, bitch!” 

You ignored the two, instead of focusing on the growing puddle of blood on the ring. Two men came and took Loe’s body off the ring as the host grabbed Peter’s bloodied hand and raised it up. It was over in seconds.

“AND PETER WINS AGAIN FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN A ROW! BUT YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THAT’S NOT IT, LADIES AND GENTS! WE HAVE A RECURRING CHARACTER HERE TODAY!”

Another figure stepped on stage. He was way shorter in stature compared to Pete. His head was covered in soft but messy looking dark locks, exposing the back of his shaven scalp with an undercut. The man might’ve been short, but what he lacked in size, he made up for in muscle. Thick muscle coated his arms and his legs. He was built, with sharp abs sitting firmly on his stomach and lower torso. A sprinkle of hair fell from his belly button and disappeared into his shorts.

You frowned looking at the two men. Maybe you should start going to the gym again.

“Are you joking me? This is such easy money!” You heard the male with the shaven head exclaim to his friend. Sasha snorted.

“Like hell I’m gonna bet on him, look at him! Peter will beat him into the ground!” She screamed back at him.

You looked on at the shorter male. He adjusted his black hand-bandage things that fighters usually wear, and shook out his arms.

“Hey, I don’t know, he might win!” You yelled over at the two. The pair looked at you before they grinned widely at the same time.

“Bet on it?” Connie offered, raising a fifty dollar bill in between his forefinger and middle finger. You shifted your weight nervously. You didn’t know how you felt about gambling on another human being like this was a dog fight or something.

“...No, sorry, I’m broke!” You said finally, putting your eyes back on the fight. You weren’t lying, either. You actually didn’t have any more money to spend between your meals for the day and your books. You ignored the groan that came from both Connie and Sasha

“ALL BETS PLACED?” The host shrieked, causing you once again to cringe. You were sure you were gonna need a hearing aid after this. The crowd cheered back, demanding the host to start the fight.

And that he did.

“OKAY! GENTLEMEN? YOU MAY NOW BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF EACH OTHER.”

The bell went off and the fight immediately started. However, something was off. Although you couldn’t see the shorter man’s face up-close, you could tell his mind was somewhere else. Peter, on the other hand, didn’t waste any time. He lunged for the male, successfully landing a punch on the shorter male’s jaw. The black-haired man stumbled back, his arms catching the ropes of the outer boxing ring. The crowd went crazy with cheers. You frowned, silently cheering for the smaller man. What could you say, you had compassion for the disadvantaged.

The crowd had collected their gambled money too soon, however. The cheering died down when the shorter man got back up, slowly. You could tell _now_ he was _really_ in the game. He spit a glob of blood and saliva to the left of him before raising his fists again. Peter smirked, but in that same moment, that smug smile was punched off his face.

  
  


If you blinked, you would’ve missed it.

The man was quick on his feet, making his way up to the taller man and hitting him twice, once with a left hook and the other with a right. He then quickly hunched over, delivering a powerful blow to Peter’s stomach.

Peter gasped for air and his eyes bulged out of his head as a response to the blow. The shorter man wasn’t anywhere near done with him yet. 

The man punched him in the jaw again, before tucking his arm in and hitting Peter with his forearm and elbow. While still dazed, the shorter man—lightning hands, you nicknamed him—grabbed the sides of his head. Truly living up to his nickname, in a blink of an eye, he forced the taller male’s head downwards to his knee. A loud crack resonated throughout the room.

Finally, while Peter was still hunched over, the ebony-haired man took a couple of steps back. The man let out a grunt before flinging his leg against the man’s skull. Peter let out a pained yelp before quite literally doing a one-eighty and folding. He collapsed on the floor of the boxing ring.

The cramped arena was quiet for a while.

“Wait a minute, what the fuck?” Someone yelled out. The crowd then went crazy again, most cheering, some outraged for betting on Peter. You looked on in surprise as well. You couldn’t say you were expecting the smaller man to win. 

“What the fuck did I just watch?” You heard Connie say in a dazed voice. “Was that fucking awesome or what?” Sasha exclaimed, going on to cheer for the man. He rolled his eyes at her.

“You switch up so quick.”

  
  


The host stiffly raised the microphone to his mouth. “...AND WE HAVE A WINNER…!” he said in a shocked voice as well. “LEVI ACKERMAN, HE NEVER MISSES!”

The crowd went crazy as the host raised up Levi’s arm. The man stood still, not even breathing heavily. His eyes swept over the crowd in extreme uninterest before they landed in you. It was just for a second, which somehow made your heart skip a beat and butterflies to find a way into your stomach. You couldn’t get a good look at his features since he was so far away, but you took notice of his deep eye bags. He looked to be in his late twenties to early thirties. You briefly wondered if he went to your school. As quick as his eyes landed on you, they left, surveying the rest of the crowd.

You placed your hand on your heart. What just happened?

*****

The small arena dispersed over time, signifying you to take your leave as well. There were four fights after Levi’s first, all of which he dominated. He was light on his feet, extremely quick, and extremely strong. You wondered what he had to do to give himself that discipline. You walked out of the arena, hugging your windbreaker to your shirt. How exactly were you gonna get home? You cursed yourself internally as you walked through the layered parking lot. You took the bus here, and you doubted it would run this late. You glared at your classmates walking and laughing next to their cars in envy. You should’ve begged your mom for a car when you left for college.

“Hey! Redshirt!” You heard that familiar boyish voice call from behind you.

You paused, turning around just in time to see Connie and Sasha running up to you. You felt awkward staring at them until they were close enough to talk to you, so you averted your eyes. _I seriously need to get out more_. You thought to yourself shamefully. You heard their footsteps get closer and closer until they finally stopped, both of them breathing hard.

“We shouldn’t have run here.” Sasha panted. 

Connie grinned at you. “Me and Sasha were just about to go to Waffle House to celebrate our winnings, you down?”

You were taken aback. You? Social gatherings? Those two in the same sentence didn’t even sound right. You shifted uncomfortably.

“I can’t,” you said after a while. “I have an engineering exam next week that I _really_ need to study for.” It wasn’t technically a lie, you did have a test next week. Sure, you might’ve been studying for said test for the last month and would probably ace it in your sleep, but they didn’t need to know that.

Connie groaned. “What? You’re ditching chicken and waffles for some damn books?” He threw his hands up. “That’s crazy talk!” 

You laughed at his dramatic display. “Hey, you’re in Ms. Zoë’s class, right?” Sasha asks, putting her hand on her hip. You glanced at her in surprise. Nobody ever talked to you in that class, let alone noticed you. Then again, you weren’t the social butterfly either.

“Y-yeah,” you replied, shoving your hands in your pockets. “She’s a cool teacher.”

“Cool as she might be, she’s a total whack job,” Sasha whined, before giving you a grin. “She gives out extra credit like no one’s business though.” You laughed again, a little stunned that you were engaging in small talk with, for lack of proper, non-cliche terms, the _popular_ students. 

“That’s Ms.Zoë for you.” You shrugged.

“Hey, next lecture, sit next to me!” Connie looked betrayed at what his friend said.

“Hey, What the hell? What about me?”

“All you do is sleep in her class and ask for the answers. I’m surprised you’re not failing!” Sasha shot back.

“Piss off,” Connie replied, waving his hand. 

“What’s your name, redshirt?” He asked, offering you a boyish grin.

You blushed as you were suddenly put in the spotlight. “[Name],” you said slowly.

“Well [Name], I see you haven’t caught a ride with anyone yet, want me to drop you off at your dorm?” He offered. You pondered his offer for a second. You didn't know the man, but on the other hand, you literally were miles away from your apartment with no ride back.

“I live off-campus,” you told him. It was true, by the way. You had concluded that living on campus was way too expensive, despite the benefits that you might’ve received. “The Shiganshina apartments.” 

“No fuckin’ way, my friend Armin lives there.” Connie presses a button on his keys, causing the car right next to you to beep loudly. You jumped and let out an embarrassing yelp. Connie had a nice car, sleek and black with red rims. It fit him.

*****

After thirty minutes of hearing Connie and Sasha sing horribly off-key while screaming at the top of their lungs, you finally made your way home. The two were certainly a dynamic pair. They seemed like two halves of one whole. Despite this, they didn’t seem to be interested in each other romantically. Just a really strong friendship. You briefly wondered how they met for their relationship to be that strong.

You unlocked your apartment, letting out a loud sigh and groan. Your feet were killing you. You kicked off your sneakers before walking deeper into the dark apartment. You reached up, pulling your hair out of the tight high [Puff/Ponytail] it was in. You sighed in content when your scalp loosened and you felt your hair [Fall Down Your Shoulders/ Puff Out To Its Regular State].

Your red windbreaker fell down your shoulders, its final resting place your living room ground. Similarly, you kicked off the jeans you were wearing, making them pool in a heap of black denim on the ground below you.

Pushing your sore body into your bedroom. Without wasting any time, you flopped into your bed. You moaned in satisfaction, feeling the knots and kinks in your body sink into the soft mattress below you. Sleep sang your name in a drowsy lullaby and you were inclined to listen. Your eyelids sunk over your tired orbs, but right before they closed, the image of the quick boxer—Levi Ackerman—flashed in your mind.

He looked so uninterested in everything, possibly even the fact that he won the fight. He had dark under-eye circles like he hasn’t gotten sleep in weeks. Overall, he seemed so far away mentally. You felt the world around you go dark, but right before your consciousness left your body, your mouth moved without your consent, speaking in a voice right below a whisper.

“What have you been through?”


	2. ATBOTB - 1

**TWO - FIRST IMPRESSIONS**

The loud screech of your alarm clock dragged you out of your sleep. Your eyes flashed open in momentary fear before they fashioned themselves into a bitter glare at the shrieking machine. You fell back onto your bed as a mixture between a groan and a whine left your lips. You put your forearm over your eyes before slamming your fist onto the “OFF” button to silence the damned machine. You cursed Ms. Zoë for only having morning classes. Ignoring your body’s demand for you to stay in bed, you forced yourself up. Your work wasn’t going to do itself. You swung your bare legs over your bed, rubbing both of your eyes. ‘ _Okay_ ,’ you thought to yourself before a determined look fell over your puffy face. ‘ _Let’s get this stuff over with_.’ You stood up, making your way to your bathroom.

It had been four days since you had been to the boxing club. You hadn’t spoken to nor seen Connie or Sasha in those few days, but it didn’t bother you. You remembered them saying that night that they shared your engineering class with you. You were ashamed to admit you were excited to have people to talk to, even if it was only one class. Over the course of those four days, the image of the quick fighter with the black hair and empty stare haunted you. You had accepted that you were probably never going to see him again, but that didn’t mean you weren’t interested in him. You briefly wondered where he was and what he was doing right now.

The sound of running water pulled you out of your thoughts. You shook your head before pushing the image of the dead-eyed fighter to the back of your mind. You had better and more pressing things to worry about. You gathered the clear water in your palms before splashing it on your face. Reaching for your face wash, you rubbed the formula into your skin before grabbing your toothbrush and brushing your teeth. After you had rinsed your face and mouth off, you stripped out of your pajamas--which was really a worn oversized jersey and black shorts--and entered your shower. Once you were satisfied with how clean you were, you stepped out and got ready for the rest of the day. You decided on a black sweater and jeans--original, you knew-- and a pair of white sneakers. You absolutely lacked the drive to do your hair, so you just pulled it up in a high [Puff/Ponytail]. You grabbed the lipgloss on your desk and applied it. You decided you looked presentable enough and walked out of your apartment.

Immediately, your eyes connected with large moving boxes surrounding the apartment next to yours. You looked on in surprise. You had almost forgotten the previous owner had graduated. You didn’t know how, though, as the previous owner was constantly having extremely loud sex and the walls were paper thin. You frowned at the thought. You turned around, moving to lock your apartment doors. You let out an irritated sigh when the lock wouldn’t turn. You had known that you probably needed to alert the administration that your lock was messed up, but you always found yourself putting it off. ' _One day this crap is gonna break for good on me_.' You thought to yourself nonchalantly. Eh, oh well. That was a problem for the future [Name].

You turned on your heel, plugging in your earphoneS and making your way to the bus.

*****

You walked into Ms. Zoë’s class, nervousness growing in your chest. As usual, everyone was grouped in their own friend groups. You looked around, your gaze landing on Sasha. She was engaged in conversation with about four other people, most of whom you had never really seen before. She didn’t even notice you walked in. You wanted to go over to Sasha, but you were way too anxious to have that many people eyeing you. You gulped, timidly walking to the back of the room. What were you thinking, that they were gonna save a golden seat for you? You scolded yourself in your mind as you made your way to the very back--

“OI! [NAME]!” You froze, immediately tensing up. You turned slowly, only for your eyes to be connected with Connie and Sasha, who were waving their hands wildly. You looked around the room discreetly, only for half the room to be staring back at you. You felt your palms get sweaty as you slowly made your way to where the pair sat.

“Hey Sasha, Connie.” You said lowly, your shoes suddenly became extremely interesting. You could just feel the stares of the other people she was previously talking to

“I haven’t seen you in like four days!” She whined, “I probably should’ve asked for your number.”

You looked up at her, a small smile licking at your lips.

“Connie tells me he met you at the boxing ring,” A voice form next to you said. You looked over to see a blonde man with a smirk on his face. His hair fell in shaggy strands over his head, meeting in a middle part in the center of his hairline. He had a square jaw, with a hooked nose, and playful hazel eyes. Now that you were closer, you recognized the man as Reiner Braun, one of the star athletes at your school. 

You nodded at the man. “Yeah, I was there.”

Before you had a chance to react, he threw his muscular arm around your shoulders. “Little fucker likes to embellish his stories, so tell us, [Name], how much did he really make last night?” Stunned, you blushed, you had never really been this close to another human being before, let alone one you had just met.

“What the hell did you just call me, bastard?!” Connie barked, getting up.

“You heard me, short-fry!” Came Reiner’s response.

“Jeez, can you two calm down? Is this how you want [Name]’s first impression to be of you?” The voice came from next to Reiner. He was a tall man with brown hair. His face was slimmer compared to Reiner’s, but he was less built. You didn’t recognize him, but you knew him and the athlete were good friends. He turned to you, an apologetic smile on his face.

“My name is Bertholdt and this is Armin,” He gestured to a male who was a couple of inches shorter than him. Armin’s hair was blonde, falling down and framing his face in golden locks, down to the nape of his neck. The blonde man waved shyly at you. You waved back, offering him a smile.

“[Name], let’s trade numbers.” Sasha started, offering you her phone. You took her phone and put your number in it. She offered you some gummy bears which you gladly took up.

“Hey, Reiner, when's your game again?” Armin asked, reaching for some gummy bears as well. 

“The fourteenth,” He replied. He still hadn’t moved his arm. He grinned. “Historia’s gonna be there.”

Connie snorted. “Dude, you know she has a whole girlfriend right?”

“First of all, that’s just a rumor--”

Reiner was cut off by Ms. Zoë walking in.

“Good Morning, students!” She declared a huge grin on her face. Bertholdt, Armin, and Reiner retreated back to their seats. Sasha grinned at you, patting the seat next to her. You quickly sat down. For once, you didn’t feel so alone anymore.

*****

Ms. Zoë’s class was quick relatively quickly. She wasn’t the type of teacher to give out unnecessary work. Her class was always straight to the point unless she went on a rant about the history of engineering and science which was funny almost all of the time.

You packed your books back into your bag, only to have Sasha grab your wrist. She looked at you with desperate eyes. “[Name], I didn’t know what the fuck she was talking about the whole lecture!” You raised your eyebrow at her. “You were right! That night we should've been studying!” You slowly removed your hand from her grip. She moved her body so you could get a good look at Connie, who was knocked out and drooling on the desk.

“Get up!” She exclaimed before smacking him on the head. Connie yelped himself away, grabbing the top of his head. 

“Would you…” You paused, shifting your weight. “Would you be up for a study session, then? I’m a pretty good note-taker.” 

“Hell yeah I would,” You heard Reiner’s voice from behind you. “I’m about a sneeze away from failing this semester.” 

“He’s not lying.” Betholdt deadpanned. 

“How about we set up a study date at my apartment? Some of my other friends need some help in their classes too.” Armin piqued up, throwing his book bag over his shoulder.

“I’ll make a group chat!” Sasha said in a singsong voice, tapping away at her phone. More people? Were you really okay with this?

You sighed, hesitantly agreeing. How odd was it that you had just met these people who seemed like such good friends and they’ve accepted you into their friend group as well? You felt like you didn’t belong, but you didn’t say anything.

****

The rest of your classes were a blur, seeing that you didn’t have anyone else to talk to, as usual. You slowly made your way to your apartment, only for you to stumble into the boxes from this morning. You yelped, putting your arm out on the box to catch your fall. Frowning, you let out a sigh and put your hand over your racing heart. Why the hell hasn’t the new owner cleaned this stuff up yet? You slowly pushed yourself up from the only for your eyes to land on a muscular figure.

Your eyes widened. Lightning hands stood before you, his gaze locked in that uninterested stare. His eyes were the striking color of silverish-blue. Now that you were closer you could make out his features. The orangish-yellow sunlight danced on his face, making him look almost like a Greek god. You had to admit, he was way handsome up close. He wore a black T-shirt that clung to his upper body, accenting his build. To add fire to the flames, he was wiping sweat off his brow, making the shirt lift up and exposing his lower abdomen. Was it getting hot in here or was it just you? He wore a pair of regular grey sweatpants and sneakers. Overall, he looked worn out.

“You’re the boxer,” You said in a dumbfounded voice before you had a chance to stop yourself. The man didn’t change his emotionless expression as he looked on at you. Blood rushed to your face as you mentally screamed at yourself. You cleared your throat.

“You’re moving in?” 

His silver eyes departed from yours as he looked around at the moving boxes as if to say ‘ _What does it look like?_ ’

“What does it look like?” Came his reply. Well then. His voice was deep with an edge on it. You were taken aback by his blunt reply.

“Sorry.” You laughed nervously. “Duh,” You jokingly tapped your hand against your head. His expression didn’t change. ‘ _Abort mission! Change the subject!’_ Your subconscious screamed at you. “I’m [Name], I'm your new neighbor.” You said nervously, gesturing to your own apartment. You held out your hand to shake. _‘Since when do you introduce yourself first_?’ The voice in the back of your head taunted.

The man looked at your hand for a few seconds. You were worried he wasn’t going to shake your hand before he stepped over and grasped your hand. He had a strong grip which made those butterflies from a few days ago suddenly find themselves in your stomach. His rough fingers closed tightly around your hand as he shook it.

“Levi.” He responded. 

He turned back to unpacking. You nodded slowly to yourself and turned to your door, pulling out your key. You paused before you unlocked your door and turned back to Levi, who was looking at a box with his hand on his hip.

“I saw your match the other day,” You started out cautiously. “Where did you learn to fight like that--”

“Look, I have a huge fucking hangover and a whole bunch of shit to get moved in before nightfall.” He said lowly, his silver orbs like daggers. “This isn’t a fucking welcoming party. I know your name and you know mine. That's enough already.” You flinched at his uncaring tone. You slowly looked down.

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” You said in a soft tone. You were sure it fell on deaf ears.

“Levi!” A feminine voice came from behind you.

You turned to see a woman with ginger hair glaring daggers at the boxer. She was about your height, but Levi’s age. Her hazel eyes didn’t spare you a glance. The man let out a deep sigh. 

“Jesus Christ, do you guys know how to fuck off?” Levi growled, running his hand through his ebony hair. You had a feeling you weren’t supposed to be listening to their conversation. Maybe she was an ex-girlfriend or something. You stuck your key in the keyhole, only for it to not turn. Your eyes widened as you felt yourself panic. _Please, not now! For the love of God, not now_!

“You weren’t answering my calls. You know we would find you eventually.” She hissed back. “Just what the _fuck_ were you thinking?” 

Levi groaned, pressing his hand against his temple. 

“Well, you’ve found me. I’m not passed out in a damn alleyway, so you and shitty-brows can fuck off now.”

The ginger-haired woman gave him a look of incredulity.

“Levi, we’re trying to _help_ you. You need _help_.” She stressed.

“Like Hell I do, All you’ve done is make my life a living hell. _Fuck you_ and your _help_.”

The two suddenly stopped bickering as they heard your struggle. Their attention turned to you. 

“Sorry,” You said awkwardly, too scared to turn around and face them. As if God himself was finally finished laughing at your situation, the lock finally turned as you rushed inside. You placed your hand over your rushing heart, sliding your back against the door. 

That was such a horrible first impression. They probably thought that you were purposely listening in on them. After minutes of wallowing in self-pity and reminding yourself how embarrassing the whole encounter was, your mind wandered back to their conversation.

You knew it would be better to mind your business, but you were interested. Who was the ginger woman? What _help_ did Levi so desperately need? You sighed and shook your head. 

It was none of your concern. 


	3. Chapter 3

**2 - WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?**

You forced yourself up the stairs, your tired limbs groaning in protest for every step. Finally, it was the end of the day. After a long day of explaining every single thing that Ms. Zoë had said back to Sasha, Connie, and Reiner, increasing workloads in your classes due to upcoming exams, and walking up and down the campus for your unreasonably spaced classes. Speaking of your little group in Ms. Zoë’s class, the six of you had gotten to know each other better, even getting to the point where Bertholdt would walk with you around campus to your classes. He didn’t speak much when you two were together, but strangely it was never awkward. You enjoyed his company. 

You finally reached your floor when your eyes immediately made contact with the figure of your neighbor. He was leaning against the railing, a cigarette hanging out of his lips. Those dark, silver eyes were still locked in that uninterested gaze. His head tilted slightly as that gaze landed on you. He was wearing a black muscle shirt which of course accented his build and regular black sweatpants.

You weren’t quick enough to avoid his eye.

You turned, praying that your door would have mercy on you and just unlock. You nearly jumped up for joy when it actually did, giving you shelter from Levi’s scrutinizing gaze. 

  
  


One of the reasons you were so tired in the first place was your brain thought it would be funny to reply every cringe moment you’ve ever had, including your first meeting with the boxer. It went without saying that you didn’t get your full eight hours that night. You sighed, dropping your heavy book bag on the floor with a thud. You stretched out your neck by moving your head side to side. Before you had a chance to make yourself something to eat, your phone buzzed. 

‘ **Reinah** 🗿 💪🏻’

 _hey, we still up for the study date tmr? My coach said if im not passing i cant play_

You cursed to yourself. You had forgotten all about the study date you had planned, you didn’t even dumb down your notes. You sighed, pushing your head against your scalp. Your thumbs flew against the touchscreen.

_yea im writing the notes rn_

Ignoring the roar from your stomach, you settled down and took some highlighters out of your bag. This was going to be a long night.

****

“--Don’t you dare walk away from me!” 

You jumped awake, your knee banging against your desk. You cursed, cradling your knee in your palms. It took a minute for your eyes to adjust to the inky darkness of your apartment. A sticky substance made itself known at the corner of your mouth. Shit, you must've fallen asleep. You brought your wrist to the corner of your mouth, frowning. And you were drooling.

You put your hands together and pushed them above your head, stretching out your back. Maybe you had been working yourself a little too--

“You always do this shit! Running away from your problems and then finding yourself stuck in a new _habit_! You have a problem, Levi!” A familiar muffled voice yelled from across the wall. You blinked the last bit of drowsiness out of your eyes.

“What?” you whispered to yourself, unconsciously shifting closer to the wall.

“And what the fuck is it to you? Seriously, don’t you have marriage counseling to go to or something?” Came Levi’s harsh voice. His voice, however, sounded slurred, like he had been drinking. You slammed your hand over your mouth. What the hell were you listening to?

“...Wow, low blow, Levi.” The feminine voice spat. “This is why everyone has given up on you. Stop being an asshole for _once_ and--”

“Then why haven’t you? What don’t you understand about ‘ _fuck. Off_?’”

You pressed your hands against the wall, climbing on top of your desk You knew it was wrong to be eavesdropping, but you didn’t care. You pressed your ear against the wall.

“I did, remember? How the fuck did that end up for you? You want me to bring out the hospital records--”

“Scr-scream it to the whole world, why don’t you?”

“--Because I have them! Jesus Christ, Levi! Get your head out of your ass!”

“You first.” He replied bitterly.

“Illegal boxing? Have your brain cells finally given up on you? I don’t know if you are too drugged up on Crack, or Mushrooms, or whatever the hell you’re on now, but it's time to _move on_. It’s been seven years--!” Crack…? Mushrooms…? What were they talking about?

BANG!

A loud bang sounded against the wall you were currently eavesdropping from, making you let out an embarrassing yelp and fall not so gracefully from your desk. You landed on the knee you banged against. You hissed, cursing your desk.

After a few seconds of silence, you slowly looked up at the wall. 

Did he hit her? 

“Look at yourself, Levi.” The woman said in a softer voice. She sounded fine, but you weren't sure. 

Deciding you had probably overstepped your boundaries--and that they probably heard your fall--you quickly got up. ‘ _Maybe I should take a walk and let them yell their hearts out in privacy._ ’ You thought warily. You went inside your closet, fishing out the red windbreaker you wore when you first saw Levi. You put your arm through your armholes. You were in shorts, but you didn’t plan on being out for long. 

You walked out of your apartment, getting ready to lock the door behind you when Levi’s door suddenly flew open. Your mouth went slack as you saw the ginger woman from a couple of days ago stumble out of his apartment like she was quite literally thrown out. The woman got up quickly, an irritated grunt leaving her lips.

“You--” She didn’t have time to finish her sentence as a white, blue, and orange paper bag was thrown in her face. If you weren’t so confused and mildly horrified, it would’ve been a funny sight.

The door slammed in her face, some of her light-colored strands flying back.

“You son of a bitch!” She shrieked, banging on his door. It seemed like you couldn't get away from their drama. You slowly looked away, trying to sneak away.

“Hey,” The woman called from behind you. You stiffly turned around. The ginger-haired woman was red in the face, but that was changing due to the cool breeze. She had calmed down, but she was still breathing hard.

“Hey,” You said awkwardly. 

“I’m sorry you had to see that. I don’t usually get that riled up.” She said, laughing slightly.

“Me either.” You said dumbly. You paused. Why the fuck would you say that?

“I saw you guys talking the other day, do you know the man that lives next to you?”

“Huh? Oh, no. Well--yeah--well, kinda... I went to one of his matches like a week ago.”

She looked down at the bag she was holding. Letting out a sigh, she held the bag out towards you. It looked to be a Walmart prescription drug bag.

“Can you make sure he gets this? The man in that apartment is severely ill.” You looked down at the bag before looking at her worriedly. 

“I know you don’t know me. My name is Petra, by the way. But if I go home with his pills, my husband…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “If he won’t take it, please just hold them for me until I have a chance to come back here.”

You gulped, your introverted conscious screaming for you to decline, but your caring side begging you to accept. Your caring side won.

“[Name],” You said slowly. “I’ll get them to him.” 

The woman--Petra--smiled widely in relief. 

“Thank you so much, [Name]!” Her phone started buzzing in her pocket. She took out the apple product and cursed. 

“I'll be back soon, please just get those to him!”

You didn’t get a chance to reply as she hurried off. You stood in the middle of the hallway, shivering in your shorts.

“Why is my life changing so quickly?”

*****

The morning started off like any regular day, accept today you didn’t have any classes. Nonetheless, you still got up, took a shower, and got dressed. A plain white tee and some leggings did the job. Like usual, you threw your hair in a high ponytail. Determining you looked decent, you made breakfast.

As your eggs simmered, your gaze landed on the prescription on the counter. You felt your chest tighten. You were going to have to give it to him eventually. After eating, you slowly made your way to the bag.

“You can do this, [Name]. He’s just a potential druggie who is extremely hot with muscles.”

You snatched the bag off the desk, marching out of your apartment. You stepped in front of his house, your hand raised in a fist to knock. Was it just you, or was it getting hotter? Did you look okay? Crap, did you leave your stove on? You shook your head, forcing your fist to make contact with his door.

You waited a few seconds. Did he hear you? 

You raised your hand to knock again when the door opened suddenly, making your hand fall through the fame.

Levi looked back at you, his silver eyes pierced into yours. His dark hair was damp, droplets dripping down his neck. His torso was bare, displaying his strong chest and abdomen. His sweatpants sat lazily on his lower hips. A thin silver chain hung on his neck. He didn't look ‘extremely ill’.

Oh holy mother of God.

“Uh,” you stuttered, your head going blank. You felt blood sprint up to your face.

He narrowed his eyes at you.

Gathering your thoughts together, you cleared your throat.

“Who are you?” He asked nonchalantly.

‘ _You know who I am_ ,’ You thought bitterly.

“[Name]. Your neighbor…?”

Levi didn’t reply. You two stood there, staring at each other.

“Well, what do you want?” came his uncaring voice. You felt your face heat up even more. 

“Right. I made a promise to, uh, Petra, to make sure you got this?” You raised the bag, making his silver eyes glance at it. His eyebrows raised.

“Redhead gave that to you?”

You were surprised by his nickname for her, but you didn’t show it. You smiled and nodded, offering the bag to him.

The male looked at the bag for a couple moments before nodding to himself. He took a step back, and before you knew it, he had slammed the door in your face. You paused. What the fuck? There was no way he had just slammed the door in your face dismissively like that. Maybe he was just getting something. Yeah. That had to be it. 

You paused for a few seconds. There was no way. Angrily, you banged on his door.

Levi opened the door. “You’re still here.”

“What the hell is wrong with you? You can’t just slam the door on someone's face like that!”

A ghost of a smirk licked at the man’s lips.

“Want to watch me do it again?”

You ignored the butterflies in your stomach at his smug smile. “Look, I’m not here to bother you. I’m just fulfilling a promise I made.” You told him, putting your hand on your hip.

“If I take that fucking bag I’ll throw it in the garbage.” He said smoothly, his voice void of emotion. His smirk was gone.

You looked down at the bag before sighing. _I guess I could wait for Petra,_ You thought to yourself. You turned to leave.

“Oi, brat.” The man called, leaning against his door frame. You paused. Did he just call you _brat_?

You turned to look at him.

“What? You changed your mind?”

“No.” He tilted his head to the side. “These walls are paper-thin. I can hear your weird-ass talking to yourself and stumbling around in your apartment.”

Your eyes widened as you suddenly felt smaller in his gaze. Maybe you did talk to yourself. Maybe you had full-on conversations. Maybe sometimes mock arguments. Who didn't? You laughed nervously. Your anger fizzled out and embarrassment took its place.

“You… heard that?”

“My point is, I know your nosy ass could hear us.” He paused before looking you dead in your eye. “So, brat, what did you hear?”

You shifted under his intense glare. You could tell he wasn't going to let you go until you spoke.

“Well, I just heard arguing for the most part,” You started off, licking your suddenly dry lips. “Something about drugs and seven years?”

Levi’s eyes narrowed slightly at the second part of your confession. 

“I’m not gonna tell anyone,” You added quickly. “It’s none of my business.”

Levi stared at you for a long while before sighing. “You’re right, it is none of your business.” He said finally, pushing himself off his doorframe.

“Tell Redhead to stop bugging me when you see her again.” He said.

“Yeah,” You agreed awkwardly.

Levi closed his door and you turned back to your apartment. You gripped the bag in your hand tighter, biting your lip. You couldn’t tell if he hated you any less, but at least he didn't snap at you--ignoring the fact that he slammed a door in your face.

Spinning on your heel, you walked back to your apartment. You had a study date to prepare for.


	4. ATBOTB - 3

**THREE - DIRECT**

You stood at Armin’s door. 

Were you too early? You looked down at your phone. It was 3:30 in the afternoon. You all had agreed to meet at three. Of course, you being you, were ready at two. You didn’t want to show up too early and look like a _nerd_ , but you didn’t want to show up too late and look _disrespectful and rude_. Who knew showing up fashionably late was actually a premeditated act? Not to mention you were still thinking about the interaction you had with Levi. He was extremely nonchalant, crude, and uncaring. You honestly wish you had better things to say about him other than he was one of the finest men you had ever seen. Your thoughts briefly wondered what his story was. Clearly, through the interactions he had with Petra he had been through some things. Was he always like that?

You were pulled out of your thoughts by approaching footsteps. Nearly jumping out of your skin, you turned to the source of the sound. 

Two men and a woman were approaching. Both men were looking down at their phones as if they were engaged in a heated two-player game. The taller one had sandy brown hair which fell a little past his ears. He had stubble on his face, neatly trimmed at the bottom of his chin. His concentrated eyes were hazel, and his lips were locked in a grimace.

The other male had dark chestnut hair pulled back in a lazy ponytail. He had striking green eyes that were also concentrated on his screen. His lips, however, were pulled into a taunting grin. Suddenly, the sandy brunette groaned and the dark-haired man laughed loudly.

“That’s how it’s done, bitch.” The green-eyed man smirked, shoving his screen in the other man’s face.

“Fuck off, it was only one game.” The other man said in an irritated voice. “If I was really concentrating, I would’ve _been_ kicked your ass.”

“ _I would’ve been kicked your ass_ ,” The green-eyed man mocked, imitating the other. “Bullshit. Just accept that you’re ass and I’m superior to you in every way.”

“What did you say, bastard?!” 

“Eren won, Jean. Accept it.” The woman finally spoke up in a nonchalant tone. She had short inky hair that barely passed her ears. Her eyes were silver in color, much like Levi’s… only her’s didn’t look so dead.

“Can you be on my side for _once_ , Mikasa?” The sandy-haired man, Jean, whined. The dark-haired woman side-eyed him. “I would love to if you would win. For _once._ ”

Ouch, did he need some ice for that burn?

…

Jeez, you were lame. After realizing that you had literally been staring dead at them, you turned to avert your gaze.

“Hey, You must be [Name],” Jean’s voice called to you. You perked at the sound of your name being called. 

“Sasha never stops talking about you.” Eren started, offering you a grin. Your heart fluttered when you heard that, until the voice in the back of your head spoke. _Good or bad things, I wonder?_ You ignored it. “But then again, she never stops talking, period.” He wasn’t wrong. Sasha could go hours upon hours talking about random stuff, primarily food. You laughed.

“I hope you’re ready to repeat yourself over and over when we get to studying for the engineering test,” Jean started. “‘Cause honest to God, I don’t think any of us understand what she talks about sometimes.”

“I brought my notes ready,” you nodded, gesturing to your bag. “I happen to be a really good tutor.”

“Oi, you fuckin’ idiot, stop flirting and introduce yourself already,” Eren said. You both knew you weren’t flirting, but something told you it brought Eren joy to see the sandy-brunette get angry. “Anyways, I’m Eren, This is Mikasa.” He jutted a finger towards the black-haired woman who was looking at you silently. Upon hearing her name, she snapped out of her trance-like state and waved at you. “And this long-faced fucker is Jean.”

“You got one more time, bitch.”

Eren ignored him. “Have you knocked yet?” Eren asked, gesturing to the door. It suddenly occurred to you that you had been standing in front of Armin’s door like an idiot for the past five minutes.

“Huh? Oh, no. I just got here.” You fibbed.

Walking past you, Eren knocked loudly on the door with the side of his fist. “Hey, Armin! You gonna let us in or what?” He yelled loudly. You looked between the door and Eren in surprise. He and Armin must’ve been really good friends for him to be so abrasive like that. Armin was an easy-going guy who was reserved, much like you. The only difference you would say was that he was _actually_ shy. 

The blonde-haired man opened his door, his eyebrows furrowed. “Jeez Eren, you didn’t have to bang.” Eren grinned at him before walking inside. You walked in after saying your greetings to Armin. Your eyes recognized most of the people in his apartment, such as Connie and Sasha of course, Reiner and Bertholdt, and the three you had met at the door. There were a few new faces, however.

There was a blonde woman sitting next to Bertholdt. She wasn’t talking to him, more rather, she and Bertholdt were passively listening to whatever Reiner was talking about. Her eyes were light blue and emotionless. She had a hooked nose and high cheekbones. Looking over to the other side of the room, you saw yet another blonde. She was pretty, like _really_ pretty. She was laughing at what another woman, a tall looking, slender, brunette had said. 

You felt your palms get sweaty. You took a deep breath. “You can do this.” You whispered to yourself before finding your way to Sasha, who was showing Connie something on her phone. Her eyes lit up when she saw you.

“[Name]!” She grinned at you as you sat down next to her. “Here, I brought snacks.” She handed you an overstuffed backpack full of chips, candies, and gummies.

“Why don’t you tell her what happened to the other bag?”Connie sneered. “Shut up!” she barked. You laughed at the two. 

“Okay, you guys!” Armin said, standing up. The rest of you guys quieted down. 

“We’re here today because most of you are on the verge of failing. Ms. Zoë’s exams start tomorrow! We have to get as much of this information crammed in our head as quickly as possible!”

You all cheered.

“Alright! Let’s give it our all!”

Since you, Bertholdt, the woman with the blonde eyes and emotionless stare who you’d come to know as Annie, Mikasa, and Armin were the only ones who weren’t on the verge of failing, you decided it would be best to split into tutoring groups. You picked out Sasha and Reiner to tutor for your group.

You sat next to your group, pulling out your notes.

“Man, this shit will not be fun.” Reiner complained.

“Suck it up. I’m trying to get my credits this semester.” Sasha replied. She looked at you as she brought out her notebook and blank flashcards.

“Ready when you are, Ms. [Name]!” Reiner hesitantly did the same.

“That sounded like the opening of a shitty porno,” He sighed. “But, I’m also ready when you are.”

You smiled at the two, getting out your own notes.

“Okay, let’s start at unit one! The founding fathers of Engineering…”

*****

Sasha closed her notebook in content. “Let’s take a break now! I’d say we did pretty good!” 

She wasn’t lying, for the record. Sasha asked a lot of questions but never got distracted. She was focused on the review. Reiner, on the other hand, didn't ask as much. He found it better to do the review on his own, and could often give you answers without skipping a beat. It kind of made you wonder if he was just pretending to be this dumb, horny jock. Well, maybe just the “dumb” part.

“I answered like six questions in a row correctly! I could be a founding father of Engineering too! Like Albert Einstein!”

“He was a physicist, idiot.” Reiner remarked, gathering his flashcards. She stuck her tongue out at him. You noticed that the other groups were approaching their break as well. 

“So…” Sasha started in a teasing voice. You cocked your eyebrow at her, zipping up your bag. “So, what?”

“You’re a pretty woman, [Name], you got a boyfriend?” Boyfriend? The word sounded weird next to your name. Suddenly, the image of Levi this morning flashed in your head.

Your face turned red. “Boyfriend? _Me_?” You sputtered. “I don’t even look like the dating type--” Connie interrupted you, seemingly coming out of nowhere.

“Yeah, but there’s this one girl in my culinary class, and _damn_ she has a fat--”

“We weren’t talking to you!”

“--Brain,” Connie said, mocking offense. He put his hand on his chest and dropped his jaw. “You didn’t think I was going to make degrading remarks about a woman’s body, did you? I look at a girl’s intelligence. Some feminist you are.” 

Sasha rolled her eyes before turning back to you.

“You have your eye on someone, I can tell!” Sasha cheesed. “Don’t even try to tell me I’m wrong! My instincts never are.”

You scratched your cheek and laughed nervously. Should you tell her about Levi? You were attracted to him and wanted to know more, but his attitude on the other hand…

“You shouldn’t take dating advice from potato-girl,” You heard Eren’s voice from behind you. Him, Jean, and Mikasa plopped down next to you. “You should take it from someone who’s _actually_ been in a relationship, [Name].”

“Then _you_ most _definitely_ shouldn’t be talking during this conversation.” Jean quipped, leaning his head against his palm. “Fuckin’ virgin.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve lost count, How many times have you been rejected by Mikasa?” He barked back. Connie put his hand over his mouth to conceal his laughter. You did the same. Mikasa just sighed as she knew what was about to happen.

Jean got up and grabbed Eren’s shirt.

“Say that again, I dare you, Bastard!”

Eren did the same to Jean’s shirt. “You heard me, Horseface!”

As the two bickered, you turned to face Sasha once again. She grinned at you.

“So…?”

You bit your lip. You were probably going to regret this later.

“Well, there is this _one_ guy..” You trailed off.

You felt Reiner throw his arm around you. “It’s okay, You can tell me.”

You wrinkled your nose at him. “As if, I’m not into men who do steroids, sorry.” You joked, getting your steroid joke from what Connie frequently called him--Steroid man. 

Connie and Sasha Ohh’ed like some preteens at a trash-talking battle. Reiner chuckled. “Baby, all this is _au natural_ , I’ll show you if you’d like?” You blushed when you figured out what he was alluding to and pushed him off of you. 

“Knock it off, Reiner.” You sighed. “Anyways, Nevermind. The guy I was talking about… He and I are horrible for each other.”

Sasha looked at you expectantly.

You sighed again, getting up and taking off your sweater. You had a shirt on underneath, of course. It was a well-fitting black shirt that was tucked into your jeans.

“I mean, he’s extremely attractive, like, really, really, hot,” You ranted, starting to pace. “But he’s so rude! And mean! And he curses a lot!” You turned around to pace to your left.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, I'm not one to usually want to fix people, but he’s been through a lot. I’ve only ever had two conversations with him, but I can tell he’s not doing so good!” 

You turned to pace to your right.

“And my stupid brain keeps telling me to learn more about a person before I can judge, but how the hell am I supposed to get close to a crude, bad influence, extremely attractive hottie that won’t leave my head?” You turned to them. “What am I supposed to do?”

You turned to see the whole room staring back at you. Even Jean and Eren had stopped bickering. You took a step back as embarrassment washed over you. 

“Uhm…” You said stiffly.

“I’m not gonna lie, I was _only_ looking at your ass just now.” Connie said after a while. Sasha hit him upside his head. “Have some fucking respect!” She barked at him.

“What? Am I wrong? [Name], you have a nice ass, I had to say it.”

You looked at him in incredulity. “Connie!”

“He’s not wrong,” Reiner chipped in.

The woman who was sitting to the pretty blonde smirked at her. “I mean, it was alright, but I can think of someone with a better one.”

Reiner looked upset that he didn’t say that first.

“You guys, cut it out.” The pretty blonde started. “Have you tried just being nice? Starting a conversation with him?”

You bitterly remembered your first meeting with Levi.

“That didn’t work.” You felt awkward talking to people you just met about your sorta-crush on an underground boxer, but it felt good to finally have someone to talk to about this stuff.

  
“Does he go here? I might know him.” The blonde asked. You paused at the question. Did he go to your school? You never saw him on campus nor taking any classes.

”I’m not sure,” you replied.

“What you need to do is just go up to him,” Eren started, walking up to you. He slammed his hands on your shoulders, making you jump in surprise.

“And say,” His deep green eyes looked into yours. “I like you.” He said in an intense voice. 

“Yeah right,” Jean scoffed, crossing his arms. “That’s totally how to confess to someone.”

Eren looked at him for a while before removing his hands from your shoulders.

“You know what--”

“Look, sweetheart.” the freckled brunette sitting next to the pretty blonde started. “Men are stupid. Stupidly annoying, stupidly oblivious, stupidly embarrassing--”

“Okay, we get it.” Reiner spoke gruffly, rolling his eyes.

“But most importantly, stupidly easy to understand.” She finished, she threw an arm over the pretty blonde. “He’s only going to do what you allow him to. Don’t take shit from him anymore. That should solve most of your problems.” She shrugged. “Life’s too short to be thinking about the ‘what-ifs.”

You all went silent at the freckled woman’s wisdom. 

“Why are you all staring at me like that? And can we finish studying, please? I didn’t write down all my notes.”

*****

The freckled woman, who you learned was called Ymir, words stuck in your mind as you climbed up the stairs to your apartment. _He’s only going to do what you allow him?_ You said to yourself in deep thought. How was that supposed to manifest in your actions? Were you supposed to curse more at him? Maybe slam the door in _his_ face a couple of times? But then again, how was that supposed to get you closer to learning his story? Unless he was into that sort of thing--

You yelped as you tripped over something large. You quickly put your hands out, bracing yourself for the fall. Pain exploded into the left side of your body

you landed on the hard concrete.

You looked down at what you tripped over, ready to attack.

Instead, however, you came face to face with an unconscious Levi.

You blinked.

Once. 

Twice.

“Huh?” You said to yourself. 

The man’s face was a couple of inches away from yours. His hair was messy like he had constantly been running his rough hand through it. Though he was unconscious, his eyebrows were locked in that dark glare. Even while unconscious he looked tormented. His lips were parted slightly.

His breath smelled of Alcohol. 

What was he doing unconscious mere feet before his door? 

‘ _This isn’t creepy at all_ ,’ Your subconscious scoffed. ‘ _Yes, creepy lady. Watch your_ **_boxer_ ** _neighbor sleep. Let’s see what he does to you when he wakes up.’_

As if he could sense your staring, his eyes opened. His steely blue eyes held yours captive for a few seconds. You yelped, stumbling backward against the wall.

Levi let out a deep sigh out of his nose before pushing himself off the floor into a sitting position. He pushed his hand into his hair.

“Watching me while I sleep?” He spoke, his voice slurred and sloppy. “That’s odd, even for your weird ass.” You could now see that he was wearing a long jacket, his hard torso bare underneath. He wore a pair of grey sweatpants, black boxer shorts sticking out from underneath. He must’ve been coming from a match.

You looked at him through wide eyes, your heartbeat accelerating. “What-” You gulped. “What were you doing passed out in the open this late?”

Levi swayed in giving you in the usual dark glare. He didn’t bother answering your question before stumbling to a stand. You quickly got up as well, cautiously watching him.

“Do you need help?” You asked slowly. He let out a ‘tch’ noise.

“W--Why the _fuck_ does everyone keep asking me that? Shitty brows, Fo--Four eyes, Redhead, and now you?” He forced out, clearly agitated. “Piss off, brat.”

You flinched at his harsh tone. The man proceeded to stumble towards his apartment, almost falling multiple times. You trailed him slowly, watching him stop in front of his doorstep. He forced his hands into his pockets, fishing presumably for his keys.

He took out his key and seemed to insert it into everything but the lock. He cursed before giving up, letting his forehead fall against the door. You stared at the drunk man before biting your lip.

Don't do it.

Don’t do it.

Don’t do--

You walked over to the man, taking his key from him. The man was slow to react. 

“Give me this.” You said to him, inserting it into the actual lock.

“Oi, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” He started, giving you a dirty glare and swaying slightly. “I don’t need your fucking help..!” He snarled. The man fought against you, but thanks to his debilitated state, you were able to keep him at bay.

“Shut the hell up,” You hissed back at him.

You opened the door, almost falling in due to the boxer’s weight. You held up the man as he groaned, walking him inside. You closed the door behind you, acutely aware of the fact that the boxer’s scent surrounded you. He smelled good.

You reached around in the darkness for the light switch.

“Oi, brat…” You heard the man say. You ignored him, nearly jumping for joy when your hand finally touched the light switch. His living room lit up, illuminated by the pearl white light. You barely had time to take in your surroundings before Levi pushed you against his door with surprising force. His right hand slammed right next to your head, making you jump.

His dark eyes were back on you. “Didn’t I tell you I don’t need your fucking help?” He growled. “I’m fine.”

You clenched your jaw before glaring back at him.

“Yeah, if you count blackout drunk as _fine_.” You shot back. He narrowed his eyes at you.

“Just what were you thinking? Why did you feel the need to get this drunk?”

The man didn’t reply for a few seconds, just stared at you. 

“You really want to know?” he asked huskily.

You gulped, blinking at him. He slowly took your hand in his. You jumped at the coldness of his touch. Pushing his jacket away from his chest, he pushed your palm against his beating heart. His chest was warm, funnily enough. His heartbeat was steady and strong. 

_Ba-dump._

_Ba-dump._

_Ba-dump._

His hand fell away from yours. “You understand now? Is that enough for your nosy ass? You damned brat,” He slurred. You looked at the man in front of you in confusion. His heartbeat? You didn’t understand. The man let his head fall forward, burying his head in your neck. His hot breath tickled your collarbone.

“Fuck, my head.” He said in a strained voice. 

You let out a shaky breath, a blush kissing at your cheeks.

“I think I’m gonna fuckin’ puke.” He rasped out.

Your eyes widened. And just like that, the moment ruined. You quickly pushed the man away from you. Luckily, he tripped against his sofa and fell on it. A groan left his lips. You slowly lowered your hand before walking over to him.

“Levi..?”

His arm was draped over his forehead as a hiccup left his lips. You slowly lowered your backpack down your shoulder before slowly walking looking around. There had to be a bucket in here somewhere. Your eyes blanketed over the neatly kept apartment. The structure of his apartment looked like yours, just less personalized. His furniture was black: a black sofa, a black (but cute looking) coffee table, a black TV, etc. The window that was stationed just across from the front door was shut tightly and there were no curtains. Other than that, there were no portraits, plants, or anything like that. It looked bland.

“Levi, Do you have--” When you turned back around, the dark haired man was gone. Immediately, you heard retching in the room next to you. You stood awkwardly in the middle of the man living room until he stumbled back.

His jacket was long gone, and there were water droplets falling from his mouth onto his chest. 

His eyebrows knitted together like he was in pain as he staggered back to the couch. He dropped his weight into the price of furniture. You slowly made your way towards him.

“Are you gonna sleep in that, or?” You questioned, eyeing the “boxer bandage” he has around his hands. The man didn’t reply. 

Swallowing your nervousness, you kneeled in front of the couch and took his strong hand in yours. You slowly undid the bandages, ignoring the intense stare he was giving you.

“You should go to bed.” You said to him. You didn’t plan on being his babysitter all night, but clearly he couldn’t care for himself right now.

You pulled the last piece of bandage off his limp hand, letting it fall to the ground below you. You paused when you looked at his knuckles. They were bruised and coloring his pale skin a bluish-red. Unable to stop yourself, you brushed your thumbs over them in curiosity.

”Does this hurt?”

The man stared you down like a hawk for a few more seconds before snatching his hands away from yours. He grunted as he pushed himself off his couch.

“Where are you going?”

“I need a drink.”

You paused. Did you hear him right?

“Levi, you’re already drunk. Do you know how much you’ve had to drink?”

“Not enough.” He gruffed lowly. You quickly got up, putting your hand against his chest and pushing him back down. You briefly wondered if you should call Petra, but you knew that would lead to a whole other can of worms. His back fell against the cushions s he let out a pained groan.

“How old are you? You should know your limits.” You scolded him.

“Who’s fucking mom are you?” He shot back. He let out a deep breath before running his fingers through his only hair. “I do what I fucking please.” He said in a quieter voice.

In a few more seconds, the man had gone unconscious again.

It was your turn to sigh as you got up. You looked around the room. Where was your bag? Your keys were in there. You frowned, putting your hand on your temple.

Just your luck the _day_ before your exam you lost your keys in your boxer-neighbor’s apartment. You felt like you would be intruding if you slept in his bed… plus, that was extremely intimate.

You looked at the ground before lowering yourself down. It was going to be an awkward meeting tomorrow. You took off your shoes, putting them by the coffee table. Laying your head down on the carpeted floor, curling into a fetal position. You had to be honest, the study session had worn you out. You eyelids fluttered closed. Levi could yell at the future [Name]. Present [Name] needed her sleep.

*****

Loud rustling dragged you out of your slumber. Immediately, you noticed that the lights had been turned off, drenching the apartment in darkness. Your drowsy brain took a second to remember that you weren’t in your apartment. You groaned, pushing yourself off the floor. A soreness had made itself know in the crook of your neck, causing you to wince. You slowly looked behind you at the couch Levi was lying in—well, was lying in. 

He was nowhere to be found.

You raised your arms above your head, arching your back in a long stretch. Where did he go? You pulled your clumsy limbs together before pushing yourself up. Jeez, it felt like there was a haze over your brain, you could barely concentrate.

You let out a breath before walking deeper into the apartment. The rustling had come from the kitchen if your ears hadn’t been playing tricks on you. You groggily blinked before stepping into the kitchen. The coolness of the tiles stabbed past your socks, caressing your heels.

Your eyes widened.

Levi was standing before you, his back facing you. There was a large tattoo of two wings imprinted into his skin. One was a dark blue—or just a regular blue, you couldn’t tell because of the darkness— and the other was white. His back muscles flexed as he hunched over the countertop. On the countertop were three bottles of pills, but the contents were spilled over the counter, as if someone was desperately trying to get to them. On the left side of the countertop was a quarter full glass of brown liquid. You didn’t have to guess what it was.

“Levi…?”

“Go back to sleep.” His deep voice was guttural and raspy. He didn’t turn to look at you.

Your blood froze in your veins. You swallowed a lump in your throat.

“W-what’re you doing?” You asked in a soft voice.

“Oi, brat. Did you hear me?” He growled. “Go back to sleep.”

You took a small step back before looking down at your feet. What were you supposed to do? You were pretty sure pills and alcohol were a horrible mix. On the other hand though, you had no type of idea what type of mindset he was in. Cursing yourself, you reluctantly followed his orders.

You went back to the floor before the couch, laid on the floor again, and went to sleep.


End file.
